Embodiments of the inventive subject matter generally relate to the field of communications and, more particularly, to generating a modulated signal using differentially delayed clock signals.
Modulation techniques typically involve a baseband signal and a carrier signal. The baseband signal is a signal that can include information intended for transmission through a medium. The baseband signal can be used to modulate the carrier signal and generate a modulated signal. The modulated signal, carrying the information from the baseband signal, can be transmitted to a receiver. A number of modulation techniques can be used to modulate the carrier signal with the baseband signal. For example, a wireless device, such as an access point, can modulate a signal using Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation techniques in accordance with IEEE 802.11 specifications. The wireless device can include an OFDM modulator to generate the modulated signal and a transmitter to transmit the modulated signal through the medium.
Transmitting the modulated signal can consume a large amount of power, especially when compared to other circuits and components that may be included in a device with the modulator. Transmitter designs that are more power efficient, such as switched mode transmitters, are often used to reduce power consumption. However, the switching nature of the switched mode transmitter is inherently complex, and does not lend itself to easy implementation with typical signal modulation techniques.